Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) has been chosen as the name for the new family of Meteorological Satellites. Twenty-five years after the rollout of the first meteorological satellite in 1977, some ... six other Meteosats later, MSG is now a completely new series of geostationary meteorological satellites with three pieces already being produced and others that may follow within the next decade.

MSG is a joint project between ESA and Eumetsat, the organization set up in 1986 to establish, maintain and operate a European system of meteorological satellites. Three satellites are planned at present and a ground segment. ESA is responsible for designing and developing the first satellite - now already in orbit - and for procuring the other three on behalf of Eumetsat. Eumetsat is responsible for defining the payload based on user needs, procuring the ground segment and launchers, and operating the system.

With the launch of MSG-2, at any one time, two MSG satellites will be functional in geostationary orbit, the operational one being at 0 degrees longitude which is above equatorial west Africa, the other being on stand-by with 10 degrees of separation.

The first satellite, MSG-1 has been launched on board an Ariane 5 launcher in August 2002. MSG-2 will follow later. MSG-3 will be built and put in storage until it is required to take over as the operational MSG nears the end of its life. Each satellite will have a nominal seven-year lifetime. A fourth MSG satellite of the same design is foreseen to ensure continuity of service until the end of the next decade.